


stall

by kinpika



Series: the hollow thought [3]
Category: Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game)
Genre: Also taking all the bffs out of the game and somewhere safe, F/M, Neutral Ending, This started because of the idea of smuggling two vampires out in the trunk of a car, post Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 01:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19097359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinpika/pseuds/kinpika
Summary: Nothing comes back through, but neither of them expected anything. Just the walkie-talkie returned to the console, still on. “Not much further now.”Like it was a promise. ‘Not much further now’. Safety bundled up into one line. A little further and they would be safe for the night once again.





	stall

**Author's Note:**

> my malk, river lee

Mercurio can’t stop his fingers from tapping on the dashboard. Same pattern, over and over. Maybe it was in time with the drums of the music, slipping out low from the radio, but he knew that it was just nerves. Working it out through the tips of his fingers helped him, he told himself that. Had to believe it.

Not that his company was helping the growing anxiety either. Romero was focused and absolutely unnerved as he kept one hand on the wheel, cigarette held loosely between the other. And in the back, Heather was lounging, long since having fallen asleep. Eyes quickly fall to the device sitting snug in the cup holder, and still there was absolutely no sound. Nothing. 

Maybe he should’ve tried his hand at telling the resident vampires to keep their end of the walkie-talkie on all the time. Just so he was sure they were still alive. Or breathing. Or talking. If they were. 

“How far now?”

Romero flicks his cigarette out the window. “Next motel booked is another good hour or so away.” Evening had already crept in, with the last of the sun still not quite having left them. Some relief, however, that by the time they would arrive it would be dark. 

Whilst they’d double and triple checked the boot of the car was light-tight, Mercurio had a vague fear of opening up and finding the equivalent of bloody soup back there. Or whatever it was that happened to vampires when they saw sunlight. Not like LaCroix was remarkably forthcoming with anything as far as information or technicalities anyway in the sixty years they had been together. It was like pulling teeth just to figure out what they did when it came to sex alone. 

Picking up the walkie-talkie then, Mercurio holds it a little tighter than he meant to. “Getting hungry back there?”

Silence, for a good sixty seconds. Until, the telltale sign of shuffling, and—

_“Not yet.”_

Ash’s voice filtered through. If Mercurio didn’t know any better, it sounded like he had just woken up from a remarkably pleasant nap. And if Mercurio didn’t know any better, he wouldn’t have listened for that edge. Even if Ash was the more complacent of the two resident vampires huddled in the boot of the car, there was still that _bite._  

The little cooler of blood bags was beside Heather, but there wasn’t a further request for anything else. Just telltale silence, and Mercurio went back to fiddling with the dials of the radio. More than one station reported on the explosion that had erupted out of Venture Tower. Nearly four days out of the Downtown area, and every third person they’d run into when having to grab extra bits and pieces had said something about it.

_“If you want to eat, stop somewhere and take cash out of the box.”_

That was Lee. Surprisingly casual in tone, with none of that airy-fairy bullshit underlying. Cash wasn’t an issue anyway. With each of them strapped around their middle with extra notes, and the glovebox containing a very hefty paper bag, they weren’t running short anytime soon. Mercurio didn’t linger on why the explicit comment of ‘the box’, and not their own personal bundles.

Romero picks up the walkie-talkie next, holding it close. “Gonna drive through till the motel and grab something to eat there.”

Nothing comes back through, but neither of them expected anything. Just the walkie-talkie returned to the console, still on. “Not much further now.”

Like it was a promise. ‘Not much further now’. Safety bundled up into one line. A little further and they would be safe for the night once again. 

Except it was never that easy. Another thirty minutes down, and Mercurio hears the faint whisper of _“blue_ ” filter through the air. Almost gone before he noticed it, until something catches his eye in the rearview mirror. 

“Shit.” 

Romero indicates to pull over, but Mercurio can see the strain at the corners of his eyes.

Heather wakes then too, acutely aware of the sirens behind them. Eyes dart around, and Mercurio remembers the Malkavian presence, swearing again. “Shit.”

It would be their luck for Heather to get all spooky on some outer city cop. Romero was being far too calm, slowly puffing away on his cigarette, before stubbing it on the centre console. Something is said on his face, a little indescribable, that Mercurio blames on the Toreadors. “Sun’s going down.” Voice far too controlled, but his eyes weren’t turned towards the officer bumbling towards their car. No, Romero was too invested in the horizon.

 _Stall_. Mercurio hears the words, voice not his own. Far too deep of a thrum in his skull for it to have originated from the walkie-talkie, but he manages to get a thumb over the dial anyway. Make sure it was on, loud and clear. 

The knock on the window doesn’t make him jump, nor does Romero rolling down the window with a “how can we help you, officer?” Heather was awake but quiet. Bundled up in blankets and clothes, two big eyes peering out. Wasn’t the first time they’d had to play the game — two dads, taking their daughter for a trip. Room for two, please. No room service, thank you.

But from the way the cop frowned, eyes zeroing in on Heather, Mercurio wasn’t stupid. He knew how it looked. So he keeps his eyes on the other cop, who had rounded to his side, and how they kept a firm hand on their holster. _Shit_.

“Out for a casual drive?”

Romero puts on the charm, the smile, the certainty. Ash had said it was something to do with the blood, how it helped certain things. More of a handwavey excuse for why Heather was a mumbling mess on the first day, but Mercurio was almost thankful for it then. 

“Just going for a holiday, sir.”

“Odd time of year for it.”

“Work never gives out good times for leave. Had to take it.” And he’s smiling, one hand casually on the wheel, the other on his thigh. Nice and open, no obvious threat. 

Even as the cop received licence and registration, Mercurio could tell something wasn’t right. Too bad he wasn’t a mindreader, or it might’ve helped give them a leg up. So they sit, wait, eyes sliding up to the rearview mirror, catching Heather’s eye and giving her a slight shake of the head. 

“Strange, y’see.”

“What’s that, sir?” Calm, cool, professional. Mercurio knew that was supposed to be his job, and Romero was supposed to be in this seat, sweating bullets and praying they were none the wiser. Sun was going down. 

The officer spits on the road, before levelling them with a self-satisfied grin. “This car was reported stolen. Supposed to have been destroyed in that fire back there in L.A.”

Romero’s “really?” was far too soft. Only then does he meet Mercurio’s eye. 

“ _Really_ ,” the cop emphasises the word with his hands wide. “How about you two step out, for just a second here.”

That wasn’t wise. Mercurio could see the other cop, the one on his side, twitch. No, he wouldn’t be able to get the glovebox open fast enough to pull a gun. Not without the pig by Romero getting far too heated. For one whole moment, Mercurio remembered the lack of blood from LaCroix in the last few months, and the pit in his stomach opened up just a little wider as he stepped out of the car.

“Hands where I can see ‘em.” 

Now they were flashing weapons. Far too haphazardly, as Mercurio places his hands on his head. Heather moves then. Reaches out. Enough to set the cop near him on edge, and Mercurio sidesteps in the way between them and her. “It’s alright, Heather,” he calls over his shoulder. “Don’t worry.”

From where he stood, Mercurio could see Romero with his hands pressed on the hood of the car. Maintaining a surprisingly nonchalant face, despite the cop getting far too handsy. Perhaps Romero understood what he was saying. They could both disarm and fire the cops with next to no problem, really. With how they were waving their guns around, they didn’t have much of a firm grip. Easy to exploit and move on. Romero gives a curt nod, as if he understood. 

Alright, here goes nothing. Mercurio counts down, then, mouthing the words. _Five, four, three, two_ —

 _Bang!_  

They all freeze. Like time came to a screeching halt, and Mercurio had to blink furiously to restart it. What was that? Romero wasn’t looking at him at all, eyes trained carefully on the boot of the car. Silence still carried on, until there was another sound of someone hitting the car. Muffled, as if it was on the inside. 

That sets the cops off. Screaming, down on the ground, what’s in there. Mercurio finds himself forced against the hood this time, facing Romero. Pale as a vampire, stress finally putting something in his face other than complacency — Mercurio might’ve called it fear.

“Who’s in there?!”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Who. Is. In. There?!” 

With the barrel of a gun pressed firmly against his head, Mercurio could only watch as Romero was dragged towards the boot. “Open it!”

“You don’t want me to do that.” Tension was high in his voice. Romero fumbled for his keys, even as he tried to argue against the cop.

“Open the fucking boot!”

“Romero, don’t—!”

Just as the last pinches of sunlight disappeared, Romero turned the key. Squeezed his eyes shut as he did so. Would that be enough time? Mercurio had only ever known vampires to be out when it was completely dark, not just as the sun went down. Oh, fuck, this was it, wasn’t it?

There’s a gargle and a series of shots fired. Only enough to really piss off whichever one got out first. Mercurio manages to swing his arm back, catching his cop off guard enough to wrangle the gun from them, turn it on them. When he was sure they were down, well and truly, does he turn.

Well, he could add watching a grown man piss themselves out of fear while hoisted in the air to the list of things he hadn’t expected to see. Lee was out of the boot first, it seemed, and Mercurio almost felt bad. 

“Little piggy should know better than to try to blow back at wolves.”

She’s singing, almost, in one of those voices. Dreamy and smiling but teeth bared in all the wrong ways. The cop has his hands around her wrist, trying to pull her off. 

“Did they hurt you?” Ash is speaking then, and Mercurio watches him check Romero over twice, before seeing to Heather.

“Le—lemme go!”

“Oh, no, no no no, can’t do that. Not now. Little piggy knows too much.”

Something has to be said for genuine fear breaking a man. Especially after they’d just been waving around a gun and badge like nobody’s business. Mercurio grabs the cop he’d been holding down towards Lee, despite their kicking and screaming. Even if a building had been blown up in their wake, there was some measure of regard still in place for the masquerade. _Some_.

Lee bites the cop, and he screams. Loudly. Into the dark, with no other cars nearby. Barely any time passes before he’s dropped into a crumpled heap, moaning as he clutched his neck. The other cop practically squeals, and Mercurio has to kick their leg.

“They passed out.” Surprise colours Mercurio’s voice. Well, that was new.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Lee looks a little better. Eyes still narrowed, as they stare down at the two cops with some amount of concern. “Have to clean up…” she mumbles, and goes for the second cop.

Just as she pulled the second cop up, ready to bite, Ash reappears. “Lee, wait.”

“Can’t. Know too much. Seen too much.”

Mercurio busies himself with picking up the other abandoned gun, handing it over to Romero. Heather steps out the car then, too, blanket still around her. “What do we do?” she’s whispering, as if afraid to wake the cops up, eyes still sitting heavily on the guns in their hands. 

Taking a moment to answer, as he looks back over at Ash and Lee arguing to themselves. “Wait for them.” 

Whilst Mercurio had remembered something of a vague conversation on humanity, he hadn’t thought much into it. LaCroix had always been waffling on about it, especially around the time Lee was turned. Something about baser instincts, frenzy, other vampire bullshit that he would figure he would’ve learned in sixty years, but still managed to only sit at the fringes of. Judging by how Ash finally stands, and how Lee looks almost forlornly at the still passed out cop, Mercurio figured this was one of those conversations. 

“Get ready to go.”

Romero nor Mercurio take any time longer than they needed to. Whilst Heather lingered, Ash shut the boot with a _thud_ , taking the keys out. “I’ll drive.”

Mercurio slides in the back, eyes trained on the rearview mirror. Watches, how Heather stands to the side, and Lee was just slightly out of view. A few minutes pass, before the cops, both of them none the wiser, get up from the ground, and return to their car. Sitting all pretty like in the seats, eyes eerily blank. 

It’s only when Lee slides in, Heather following not long after, does anyone breathe. Settled in nicely, Ash starts the car, taking off with careful practice. If this was any other time, Mercurio might’ve made a joke about not wanting to be in the car with Ash behind the wheel, considering his tendencies. But Lee loops her arm through his, head on his shoulder, and instead he was acutely aware of the heavy smell of blood.

Looking out the window, Mercurio watches the cop car fade into the distance. Not moving, no lights flashing. Even the memories of the empty eyes disappears, just like they always did. Rearranging himself, Mercurio crosses his arms over his chest as best he could, and let himself fall asleep.


End file.
